Pictured: A newspaper from the Herald-Journal from February 21, 1980 demonstrating the boycotting of the Olympics. (https://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/1980-us-boycotted-the-moscow-olympics-because-russia-invaded-afghanistan/) The Olympics have been around since 1896. A spectacle featuring the world’s top athletes, their abilities, and the country’s patriotism. The Olympics have become a major source of entertainment as millions gather around to watch and cheer on … Continue reading Blog 6 – Russian for the Summer Olympics →
Blog 5 – The Famine of 1946
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Pictured: A newspaper ad headlining mass starvation and the effects of grain confiscation. (http://alphahistory.com/coldwar/communist-russia/) One of the challenges that faced Soviet society after WWII was food. In 1946, Russia faced one of its largest famines. This famine led to the mass starvation across the country, and in turn, many deaths. The conditions were caused by … Continue reading Blog 5 – The Famine of 1946 →
Blog 4 – 1929 Collectivization
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The picture above shows one of many propaganda posters promoting collectivization and collective farm work. The Soviet government enforced collectivization of its agricultural sector as this was part of the first five-year plan. Collectivization means consolidating individual landholdings and labor into collective farms, hence the term collectivization. In short, peasants had to give up their … Continue reading Blog 4 – 1929 Collectivization →
Blog 3 – Militarization of Labor
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One of the reasons the Bolsheviks prevailed in the Civil War was due to the militarization of labor. “The militarization of labor involved two main processes: converting military units into labor armies, and “mobilizing” industrial workers to carry out particular tasks under quasi-military supervision,” (Militarization of Labor). The Red Army’s plan was to implement this … Continue reading Blog 3 – Militarization of Labor →
Blog 2 – Tsar Nicholas II
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Tsar Nicholas II was the last emperor of Russia, ruling from 1894 to 1917 when he was abdicated. During his reign, Russia transformed from being one of the world’s great powers to a country of economic and military turmoil. Nicholas II was nicknamed Nicholas the Bloody, due to his numerous military defeats and deaths of … Continue reading Blog 2 – Tsar Nicholas II →
Blog 1 – Murmansk Railroad
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Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii. On the Handcar Outside Petrozavodsk on the Murmansk Railway, 1915. Digital color rendering. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, LC-DIG-ppmsc-03951 (15) http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/prk2000000428/ Photographer Prokudin-Gorskii and others ride in a handcar on the Murmansk Railroad. The Ministry of Transport facilitated Prokudin-Gorskii’s trips; Prokudin-Gorskii’s last trip with the ministry was to the Murmansk Railroad. The Murmansk … Continue reading Blog 1 – Murmansk Railroad →
